Manufacturing processes for such elements as an organic semiconductor element and inorganic semiconductor element are commonly performed under a vacuum environment to prevent impurities from entering the element. For example, sputtering, vapor deposition, or other techniques designed to form films under the vacuum environment are used to form cathodic electrodes, anodic electrodes, and semiconductor layers on a substrate. An internal region of an element manufacturing apparatus is deaerated over a predetermined time using a vacuum pump and other means to realize the vacuum environment.
In the manufacturing processes for the above elements, various steps are executed in addition to a film deposition step. These steps include ones that are traditionally executed under atmospheric pressure. To realize the vacuum environment, on the other hand, the predetermined time is needed as discussed above. Accordingly, when in addition to the film deposition step executed under the vacuum environment the steps executed under atmospheric pressure are further included in the manufacturing processes for such an element, a great deal of time is needed for deaerating the inside of the element manufacturing apparatus or replacing an internal environment of the element manufacturing apparatus with atmospheric air. In light of this factor, it is desirable that the element manufacturing steps be executed under an environment whose pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure. This enables reduction in the time and costs needed to obtain one element.
Examples of steps other than film deposition include the step of removing an organic semiconductor layer positioned on an auxiliary electrode. Patent Document 1, for example, describes such a step. When an electrode disposed on the organic semiconductor layer is a common electrode of a thin-film form, the auxiliary electrode is disposed to suppress a location-by-location difference in magnitude of a voltage drop developed across the common electrode. That is to say, connecting the common electrode to the auxiliary electrode at various locations allows the voltage drop across the common electrode to be reduced. Meanwhile, since the organic semiconductor layer is in general provided over an entire region of the substrate, the above-discussed removal step for removing the organic semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode needs to be executed to connect the common electrode to the auxiliary electrode.
A known method for removing an organic semiconductor layer present on an auxiliary electrode is by irradiating the organic semiconductor layer with light such as laser light. In this case, the organic semiconductor material constituting the organic semiconductor layer will fly apart during the removal of the organic semiconductor layer by ablation. To prevent contamination with the organic semiconductor material that has flown apart, therefore, it is preferable that the substrate be covered with some appropriate kind of material. Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a method in which first a counter substrate is overlaid upon the substrate under a vacuum environment to constitute an overlay substrate, next while a space between the counter substrate and the substrate is being maintained under the vacuum atmosphere, the overlay substrate is taken out from the vacuum environment into the atmospheric air, and after this operation, the organic semiconductor layer is irradiated with laser light. Based on a differential pressure between the vacuum atmosphere and the atmospheric air, this method enables the counter substrate to be brought into strong and close contact with the substrate, thereby enabling reliable prevention of contamination with the organic semiconductor material that has flown apart.